Settling down
by Trinny1011
Summary: Eliot Spencer never dreamed of settling down with someone. But it's funny what can happen when two friends have a heart to heart, of sorts... My first Leverage fanfic, so any comments welcome, preferably constructive criticism. Rated T for occasional expletives. Comment/Favourite if you would like another chapter!


**Settling down**

Eliot Spencer had never dreamed of actually settling down with someone. He had always been... independent. Even whilst he had been in the team, he had never made any real effort to fit in. He didn't conform, he didn't fit. Being with the team, it had given him a sense of belonging, but recently, he just felt a bit...isolated. It wasn't like him to not be in control of what was going on around him. He'd always tried to have a say in the plans and maintain a sense of normality, a sense of routine, in what most people would call a completely dysfunctional group. But with Parker and Hardison dating and Sophie and Nate dropping the shocker of a bombshell that was Sophie's pregnancy, he couldn't help but wonder if the team would break up this time... this time for good. They had tried breaking up just after Sophie and Nate had gotten engaged, but he couldn't help but think this may be "the final curtain" as Sophie would say. Eliot really needed to punch someone by this point. Why he had this...whatever it was, when he was sipping on Hardison's orange fizzy stuff (he was going to be mad later, but right now, he didn't care), and sitting on his own in their office/Nate's house, he had no idea. It'd just happened. He heard footsteps. He'd known the guy long enough to know his footsteps.

"Yo, man, what's..."

"I'm sorry Hardison."

Hardison stared at the bottle in his hand.

"You stole... you stole... my drink. My trademark drink?"

"I'm sorry."

" It's cool, man, I've got hundreds of the damn things. But you know, you should really ask before stealing a guy's drink."

"Trust me, man, I wish it was something stronger."

"You know there's a bar downstairs right?"

"Kinda, we've been meeting clients there for god knows how long."

"Then why didn't ya just go down there instead of nicking my drink?"

"Couldn't."

"What, your legs stopped working?"

"GOD DAMMITT HARDISON I SAID I'M SORRY!"

He banged his fists on the table. He may want to punch Hardison at the best of times, but he would never actually do it. Except for the fact that now his hands hurt like hell.

"Jeez man, take a chill pill. You ok, man?"

"No. Hardison, I'm really not okay."

"What's up?"

"Seriously? We're going to have a heart to heart?"

"Seriously. I won't even tell any of the team."

"You mean that, or are you just messing with me?"

"I mean that. Before you ask, she's talking to Sophie about...feelings, I think."

"Parker, talking about feelings?"

"Sophie's working with her. Right now, Parker seems to just be wanting to talk to the not quite human in her stomach. So what's up?"

"You tell the team any of this and I will knock you unconscious."

"Understood man."

"I'm lonely Hardison."

He'd finally gone soft. He'd gone soft. In front of Hardison.

"You're...you're lonely?"

"Yeah."

"Wow, well do you mean in terms of like friends, or like, relationships?"

"Relationships. I want..."

Hardison would never let him live this down.

"I want...something serious. Not just a fling, or the hot girl who happens to be at the bar, I want something meaningful, something serious... like what you and Parker have."

"You're jealous of me and Parker? You're jealous of me?"

Eliot could see the smirk that was appearing on his face, it was inevitable.

"Go ahead, laugh all you want."

"I'm not going to laugh, Eliot."

That scared him. That really scared him.

"Then, what are you going to do?"

"I am going to hack into every single online dating site I can find and find you the most perfect match."

"Hardison, for all I know, they could be a criminal."

"Then you would have one thing in common. So what sort of girl you looking for?"

"Guy."

"What?"

"I'm gay, Hardison."

"So am I."

Eliot stared at him wide eyed.

"I'm telling Parker tomorrow. But..."

"But you don't want to hurt her."

"Nah, man, course I don't."

"So when did you... figure it out?"

"When I realised I had feelings for someone else."

"You still have feelings for them?"

Hardison nodded.

"You wanna tell me who it is?"

"Nah, man, I can't."

"Why not?"

"I just can't!"

"Why not!"

"I just can't, goddammit Eliot, I just can't!"

"You don't get to use my goddammit, no-one gets to use my goddammit!"

"You don't get to steal my drink!"

They both looked at each other. Eliot finally understood what Hardison meant when he said he couldn't tell him.

"Finish things officially with Parker. Then come and find me when you're ready."

Two years later and they were entering into a civil partnership. Parker had, albeit reluctantly, agreed to be a bridesmaid and Nate was the best man. Probably best not to mention how many drinks he'd had before that speech. Becoming Hardison's partner felt right. It felt good. He didn't feel alone any more. He had Hardison. Even if for a while, Parker had "accidentially borrowed" some of Hardison's stuff they were still best mates. Nate and Sophie were now having to navigate the terrible two's.

And who knew what would be next for Eliot and Hardison?

Maybe they just weren't supposed to know.


End file.
